Scar appearance of different skin and subcutaneous tissue closure techniques in caesarean section: a randomized study

OBJECTIVES: To determine the role of skin and subcutaneous space closure in caesarean section on the cosmetic appearance of the scar and the patients' satisfaction. STUDY DESIGN: 153 patients undergoing caesarean section without prior abdominal delivery were included and randomly assigned in a non-blinded study to four different combinations of skin and subcutaneous tissue closure. The scar was assessed after a period of at least 4 months by a self-developed protocol and the patient was asked to complete a survey regarding her satisfaction with the scar. RESULTS: One hundred patients were eligible for long-term evaluation of the scar. Skin closure by either staples or intracutaneous suture in combination with closure or non-closure of the subcutaneous space has a comparable outcome in view of cosmetic outcome and patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: All four methods of skin closure seem to be a reasonable choice in caesarean section because they have comparable cosmetic outcome, do not differ with respect to the patients' satisfaction and bear comparable costs

Role of the N- and C-lobes of calmodulin in the activation of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II.

Understanding the principles of calmodulin (CaM) activation of target enzymes will help delineate how this seemingly simple molecule can play such a complex role in transducing Ca (2+)-signals to a variety of downstream pathways. In the work reported here, we use biochemical and biophysical tools and a panel of CaM constructs to examine the lobe specific interactions between CaM and CaMKII necessary for the activation and autophosphorylation of the enzyme. Interestingly, the N-terminal lobe of CaM by itself was able to partially activate and allow autophosphorylation of CaMKII while the C-terminal lobe was inactive. When used together, CaMN and CaMC produced maximal CaMKII activation and autophosphorylation. Moreover, CaMNN and CaMCC (chimeras of the two N- or C-terminal lobes) both activated the kinase but with greater K act than for wtCaM. Isothermal titration calorimetry experiments showed the same rank order of affinities of wtCaM \u3e CaMNN \u3e CaMCC as those determined in the activity assay and that the CaM to CaMKII subunit binding ratio was 1:1. Together, our results lead to a proposed sequential mechanism to describe the activation pathway of CaMKII led by binding of the N-lobe followed by the C-lobe. This mechanism contrasts the typical sequential binding mode of CaM with other CaM-dependent enzymes, where the C-lobe of CaM binds first. The consequence of such lobe specific binding mechanisms is discussed in relation to the differential rates of Ca (2+)-binding to each lobe of CaM during intracellular Ca (2+) oscillations

Perceptions of the intergroup structure and anti-Asian prejudice amongst white Australians

Proof oSubjective intergroup beliefs and authoritarianism were assessed in a field study (N= 255) of White Australians’ anti-Asian stereotyping and prejudice. A social identity analysis of intergroup prejudice was adopted, such that perceptions of the intergroup structure (instability, permeability, legitimacy and higher ingroup status) were proposed as predictors of higher prejudice (blatant and covert) and less favorable stereotyping. Consistent with the social identity approach, both independent and interacting roles for sociostructural predictors of Anti-Asian bias were observed, even after demographic and personality variables were controlled. For example, perceived legitimacy was associated with higher prejudice when White Australians’ status position relative to Asian Australians was valued. Moreover, when participants evaluated Whites’ position as unstable and high status or legitimate, perceptions of permeable intergroup boundaries were associated with anti-Asian bias. The present findings demonstrate status protection responses in advantaged group members in a field setting, lending weight to the contention that perceptions of sociostructural threat interact to predict outgroup derogation. Implications for theories of intergroup relations are discussed

Confirming the unusual temperature dependence of the electric-field gradient in Zn

The electric-field gradient (EFG) at nuclei in solids is a sensitive probe of the charge distribution. Experimental data, which previously only existed in insulators, have been available for metals with the development of nuclear measuring techniques since about 1970. An early, systematic investigation of the temperature dependence of the EFG in metals, originally based on results for Cd, but then also extended to various other systems, has suggested a proportionality to T 3/2 . However, later measurements in the structurally and electronically similar material Zn, which demonstrated much more complex behavior, were largely ignored at the time. The present experimental effort has confirmed the reliability of this unexpected behavior, which was previously unexplained

Ghosts of the past and dreams of the future: the impact of temporal focus on responses to contextual ingroup devaluation.

addresses: University of Exeter, Exeter, UK. [email protected]: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tCopyright © 2012 SAGE Publications. Author's draft version; post-print. Final version published by Sage available on Sage Journals Online http://online.sagepub.com/The authors investigated the impact of temporal focus on group members' responses to contextual ingroup devaluation. Four experimental studies demonstrated that following an induction of negative ingroup evaluation, participants primed with a past temporal focus reported behavioral intentions more consistent with this negative appraisal than participants primed with a future temporal focus. This effect was apparent only when a negative (but not a positive) evaluation was induced, and only among highly identified group members. Importantly, the interplay between temporal focus and group identification on relevant intentions was mediated by individual self-esteem, suggesting that focus on the future may be conducive to separating negative ingroup appraisals from individual self-evaluations. Taken together, the findings suggest that high identifiers' responses to ingroup evaluations may be predicated on their temporal focus: A focus on the past may lock such individuals within their group's history, whereas a vision of the future may open up opportunities for change